Monday, 12 March 2018

The Barbican Conservatory | Plants

It's no secret how much I love plants lately and it's a new passion and hobby which really does bring me a lot of happiness. One of my favourite things to do at the weekend is to browse plant shops and photograph plants. My current house plant collection is pretty big and I'm trying not to add too many more to it at the moment which is proving difficult! But one thing I have realised is that I don't have to be buying plants to be enjoying them. It can be just as fun to go and look at them without necessarily bringing any home with me!

One place which has been on my hit list for a while now is the Barbican Conservatory and last Sunday presented itself as the perfect time to visit. The Conservatory is only open during selected periods, and only on Sundays, so it can be tricky finding a suitable time to visit. It's also a popular event space which can be hired out so there are selected dates where it is closed to the public. I would therefore always recommend visiting their website and planning your visit properly beforehand to avoid any disappointment.

I had of course seen photos of the Conservatory online beforehand but that didn't take away any of the wow factor I felt when we walked inside for the first time. It really is such a unique and beautiful space and it's just packed to the ceiling with different plants.

My husband and I enjoyed a really leisurely stroll around the space and found it to be such a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend our Sunday together.

The Barbican Conservatory is obviously an Instagrammers dream come true and, although it wasn't packed with people when we visited, it was still a little tricky at times to get the perfect shots without other people walking by.

I think it's great that the Conservatory is free to attend as it makes a really cheap and cheerful weekend activity. There is also a car park directly underneath the Barbican making it pretty accessible to everyone and I always like to have the option of driving somewhere, especially on a Sunday when our trains aren't always the most reliable!

If you didn't already know, the Conservatory also offer afternoon tea bookings to the public which is the perfect way to make your visit even more special. However, I am not entirely sure how well they cater for vegans or any specific dietary needs so you may need to look into this if you are interested in dining there too. There is however a really nice canteen style restaurant in the Barbican Kitchen which always has decent vegan options and alternatives to afternoon tea.

I really enjoyed the time we spent at the Barbican Conservatory and it's definitely somewhere I'd like to go back to again at some point. I'd really recommend it to any plant enthusiasts like myself or anyone looking for a interesting backdrop for some blog photos! You can also watch my vlog from our visit here.